The goal of a Visual Merchandiser is to create a pleasant shopping experience at the point of sale– meaning a pleasant experience that the customer can attach to the brand and the store. Color has a very important role in the aforementioned. Color theory, which is essential for all visual communication, can shape the customer experience. It can highlight, darken, or draw attention to the items in the store. In this professional path, color trends, and the Pantone color of the year, and different palettes also have a role in the store’s decor.
Different colors have different connotations for humans, they evoke different emotions and reactions, for this reason, Visual Merchandisers make conscious choices of which colors to use in relation to the space to create impact.
Although geographical and cultural references, as well as the intensity will also change the types of emotions and sensations evoked by colors, here are some very general examples:
Pastel colors are more child-like,
Bright colors are more aggressive, younger and dynamic.
Warm colors such as reds, yellows, oranges tend to be more associated with “moving forward”, they are active.
Cool colors such as greens and blues, are more linked to ice, moonlight, serenity, the sky, the sea, immensity.
Additionally, the way the colors are combined also marks a difference for the space, common combinations in Visual Merchandising are:
Gradient: Going from the lightest to the darkest, or vice versa; or creating a range from warm to cool colors, creating smooth transitions, and some points can be highlighted.
Harmony: In this type of combination two or three colors from the same range or with soft contrast, the base is always harmonious.
Contrast: This use of combination creates a dynamic feeling by putting opposite colors against each other. This type is the most dependent on seasonal trends, but there are basic combinations such as dark blue, red, and white.